Automatic music-leaf turner.



No- 896,480. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

A. J. SWANSON. AUTOMATIC MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED 0.0T. 24, 1907.

3 SHEETSSHEET lvwautoz J 1 (fie/Y Swanson.

Wit" use:

PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

- .A. J. SWANSON. AUTOMATIO MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 PATENTED AUG; 18, 1908.

AIJ. SWANSON. AUTOMATIC MUSI'C'VLEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1907;

3 BHEETSSHEET 3.

Witnwaeo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. SWANSON, OF STOOKPORT, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Application filed October 24, 1907.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. SwANsoN, citizen of the United States, residing at Stockport, in the county of Van Buren and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Music- Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for automatically turning the sheets of a musical composition in succession, under the control of the player or operator, and either from right to left, or vice-versa, as desired.

The invention has for its object a simple, durable and efficient construction of device of this character which will be positive in its action to quickly turn the leaf in the desired direction, and which may be readily secured in place to the music stand or desk of a piano or organ, or to a stand specially devised for it, and the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved music leaf turner; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof on the line yy of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, the section being taken through one of the trip or releasing devices Fig. 4 is a drawn out or developed section on the line rw of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the reciprocating or actuating arms, showing its detent and rack portion; Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line zz of Fig. 1 Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus, on an enlarged, scale. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view on the lower end of the apparatus, the section being taken substantially on the same line as Fi 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The supporting framework 1 of my im proved automatic music leaf turner may be made of aluminium, or other light metal, or of wood or any other desired material or substance and of any desired design more or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Serial No. 399,067.

less ornamental and in the present instance, I have shown said supporting frame as a preferably onepiece casting webbed 0r grated as illustrated, so as to form a light structure, especially designed for the support of moving parts at the intersection of the cross bars or braces.

The frame l'is provided with two stub shafts 2 upon which spring drums 3 are respectively mounted. The spring 4 of each drum is secured at one end to the inner wall of the drum itself and at its other end to the hollow hub of a master gear wheel 5, the hub of which telescopes with the hub of the drum 3, as shown, both being mounted on the same stub shaft 2. The gear wheel 5 meshes with the gear teeth 6 of a combined gear and ratchet wheel 6 which is formed with a hollow hub encircling and secured rigidly to one end of a shaft 7. The hub 6 is mounted for bearing upon the hollow trunnion or boss 8 of the main frame, an opening being formed in the frame through the front thereof in registry with the interior of the boss. The

combination ratchet and gear-wheel 6 is held on its hollow bearing, preferably by means of a brace 9 formed with an angular end fitting over one end of the shaft 7 and secured at two or more points to the main framework. A spring pressed pawl 10 is mounted on the framework preferably upon one of the bolts which secures the brace 9 in place and is designed for engagement with the ratchet teeth 6 of the combination ratchet and gearwheel 6. The shaft 7 is formed with a cross pin 7 a designed for detachable engagement by the end of the crank handle 11. By the arrangement described, it is obvious that the handle 1 1 may be applied to the shaft 7 so as to turn the ratchet and gear wheel 6 in a direction to wind up the spring 4 of the revoluble drum 3.

The drum 3 is formed on its periphery with gear teeth 3 in meshing engagement with a crank disk 12 journaled on a stub shaft on the framework, and said crank disk 12 is connected by a pitman 13 with the upper end of a rocking lever 14 fulcrumed intermediate of its ends on the frame as indicated at 15. It is of course to be understood that the mechanism above described is duplicated, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

Actuating bars 16 and 17 are secured, respectively, to the lower ends of the levers 14 and extend inwardly towards each other in parallel planes, said actuating bars being respectively formed at their inner ends with rack teeth 16' and 17. The rack portions 16 and 17 of the actuating bars 16 and 17 mesh with toothed segments 18 and 19 of oscillating arms 18 and 19 mounted one above the other. The arm 18 is secured, preferably, by threads and a lock-nut 20 as shown, upon the vertically-extending shaft 21 which is mounted to turn about its longitudinal axis in a step bearin 22 formed with and projecting forwardly from the bracket 23 secured to the bottom of the frame, and in an apertured ear 26 at the u pper end of the frame, as shown. In addition to the step bearing 22, the bracket 23 is formed with guide-lugs 24 for the respective actuating bars 16 and 17. The arm 19 is not movable with the shaft 21, but is independent thereof in its movement, merely using the shaft as a support or axis about which it may turn. Each of the arms 19 and 20 carries at .its outer end a sheet holding device 25 which is preferably in the form of a clip of the spring jaw variety. These clips are, as is manifest, designed to be secured to the lower edge of the respective leaves or sheets ofthe musical composition to be turned by my automatic apparatus.

In order to keep the shaft 21. and its concomitant parts from working upwardly, a set collar 27 is secured, as shown, to the upper end. of the shaft, underneath the bearing ear 26. The upper end of the shaft 21 is formed with a goose-neck 28, as illustrated, and a sleeve 29 is secured thereto and accommodates the stem or rod 30 provided at its lower end with a sheet holding clip 31. This clip 31 is designed to coact with. the clip 25 of the oscillating arm. 18, preferably for use in turning the second leaf of the musical composition, and the saidclip 31 is intended to engage the upper edge of the sheet, its vertically adjustable arrangement providing for its use with sheets of different heights.

In order to hold the parts stationary until their operation is desired, I provide each of the actuating bars 16 and 17 with a detent 32 which is preferably constructed of a piece of tool steel in the shape of a flat bar screwed or otherwise secured thereto and providing stop shoulders 33 and. 34 at each end. Each of these-shoulders is designed for engagement by a dog 35 carried by a releasing device 36 in the form of a bellcrank mounted on the horizontally extending shaft 37. This shaft is j ournaled at its ends in a lug 38 projecting from the framework and in a corresponding lug 39 formed on the bracket 23. A. spring 40 is designed to engage the releasing device 36 to turn the same to normal position so that its dog 35 will engage with one of the shoulders 33 or 34, said. spring being secured to a finger 41 projecting from the framework as shown. The releasing device 36 is also formed with a relatively short post 42 adapted to engage the finger 41 so as to limit the inward movement of the releasing device. The dog 35 is spring pressed and is yielding as shown so as to permit the dog to rise when the spring 40 pulls the trip or releasing device 36 to place. Each trip or releasing device 36 is actuated by a handle portion. 43 provided at one end. with a finger piece or button 44 by which it may be depressed or actuated, and. secured by a screw 45 to the trip or releasing device, so that it may be en tirely removed. for the purpose of shipment or adjustment to the desired angle.

The frame 1. is preferably provided at its lower end with knobs 46 that may be covered with felt (not shown) so that the use of the device will not injure or mar the ordinary music desk orstand. The device may be applied. to the said stand by a screw 47 designed to be slipped into an opening 48 formed in the center of the frame and working in a threaded socket 49 secured in the main music stand or desk. \Vhen the device is detached, this opening in the stand may be closed by any desired. plug, so as to preserve the unbroken effect of the stand.

50 designates preferably wire supports that are secured to the frame in order to support those sheets of the musical composition that are not to be turned.

From the foregoing description in connec' tion with the accompanying drawings, it is obvious that in the practical use of my improved automatic music leaf turner, the apparatus may be readily secured to the ordinary piano or organ. music stand, or desk, or to any other stand that may be designed to receive it, and that the spring drums may be easily wound up to secure the desired. tension for the subsequent actuation of the mechanism. The clips 25 and 31 are then secured to the bottom and top edges of the pages, and set to the right or left, according to the direction in which it desired that the leaves shall be turned, the arms 18 and 19, together with the shaft 21.,being held in the desired position and under tension, by the engagement of the shoulders 33 or 34 with the dogs 35. Manifestly, then, the sheets may be turned in succession in. the desired direction by depressing the buttons 44 in succession and at the desired intervals, such depression of the buttons releasing the dogs from the detents and permitting the levers 14 to be oscillated back and forth as often as desired. Obviously, in the ordinary operation of the device, the handle 43 of the trip or releasing device 36 is released as soon as it has been actuated, so that the dog 35 will be held automatically in proper position to engage with the opposite shoulder of the detent after one traverse of the actuating bar.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a supporting frame, motors mounted in said frame, levers mounted to rock in said frame and having a driving connection with said motors, bars mounted to reciprocate in said motors and connected to said levers, arms mounted to oscillate in the frame and having an operative connection with said bars, said bars being provided with detents, dogs adapted to engage said detents to hold the bars and their actuating motors inoperative, and means for releasing the dogs from the detents, said oscillating arms being provided with clips, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An apparatus of the character de scribed, comprising a supporting frame, spring motors mounted in said frame, crank disks mounted in said frame and arranged to be driven by said motors, rocking levers mounted in said frame, pitmen connecting one end of said levers to said crank disks, bars mounted to reciprocate in the frame and formed with rack portions, horizontally oscillating arms mounted in the frame and provided with means for attaching the leaves of a musical composition thereto, said arms being formed with toothed segments engaging the rack portions of the bars, each rack bar being provided with a longitudinally extending detent formed with two spaced shoulders, dogs adapted to engage alternately with the shoulders of the respective detents according to the position of the bars, and means for releasing the dogs from the detents.

3. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a supporting framework, a vertically disposed shaft ournaled in said framework and adapted toturn about its longitudinal axis, the upper end of said shaft being formed with a goose-neck, a stem vertically-adjustable in said goose-neck and suspended therefrom, a leaf holding clip carried by said stem, an oscillating arm secured to the lower end of said shaft, a clip carried by the free end of said arm, another arm mounted on the lower end of the shaft and movable independently thereof, said last named arm being also provided with a clip, means for oscillating said arms and turning said shaft, and devices for holding said means inoperative, said holding devices being arranged for manual actuation to the released position.

, 4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a supporting frame, horizontally movable oscillating arms mounted in said frame, actuating bars mounted to reciprocate in the frame and formed with rack portions, the oscillating arms being formed with toothed segments meshing with the racks, means for reciprocating said bars, longitudinally extending detents secured to the respective bars, the ends of each detent constituting shoulders, spring pressed dogs adapted to engage one or the other of said shoulders, trip devices upon which the respective dogs are mounted, shafts journaled in the framework and upon which the respective trip devices are journaled, and releasing handles secured to the respective trip devices.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a supporting frame, horizontally movable oscillating arms mounted in said frame, actuating bars mounted to reciprocate in the frame and formed with rack portions, the oscillating arms being formed with toothed segments meshing with the racks, means for reciprocating said bars, longitudinally extending detents secured to the respective bars, the ends of each detent constituting shoulders, spring pressed dogs adapted to engage one or the other of said shoulders, trip devices upon which the respective dogs are mounted, shafts journaled in the framework and upon which the respective trip devices are journaled, releasing handles secured to the respective trip devices, each trip device being provided with a post and the framework being formed with a finger adapted to engage said post to limit the movement of the trip device in one direction, and a pull spring connected to the trip device and to said finger and designed to turn the trip device in a direction to efiect the engagement of the post with the finger. In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT J. SWANSON. [L. s] l/Vitnesses:

CARL SWANSON, GEORGE W. HARTER. 

